This article depicts the emergence of Israel Studies in present-day Germany against the background of past attempts to study Israel as part of Jewish Studies. It contrasts the rich offerings of German Studies in Israel with the modest beginnings of Israel Studies in Germany. Finally, the article sets out to characterize three future tasks of the field: consolidation, diversification, and relevance. It argues that Israel Studies, just as with any other modern approach to Middle Eastern Studies, is ultimately based on Western terms of scholarship.